184644. Sir William Paston & 184645.
Agnes Berry
1378, William born in Paston, England, heir & s/o 369288. Clement Paston & 369289.
Beatrice de Somerton. [Paston is on the coast in Norfolk.]
9/30/1399, Henry IV became King of England.
~1400, Agnes born in Harlingbury Hall, Hertfordshire, England,
coheir & d/o 369290. Sir Edmund Berre
& 369291. Alice Gerbridge.
1412, William in the public records in Norwich City as a
counsel [paid by the Mayor.]
3/20/1413, Henry V became King of England.
1413, William made steward of all the courts and letes
belonging to Richard Courtney Bishop of Norwich, who settled on him £5
per ann. …, and a livery yearly … out of his wardrobe of woollen cloth and fur,
such as the other peers, or nobles of his retinue received yearly.
1414, William called with others to mediate a dispute over
the election process for mayors of Norwich.
5/28/1415, Appointment by Roger Heylesdon … to deliver
seisin to …, William Paston, …, Edmund Feyerhede chaplain … of lands etc. in
Bixley, … (S) UKNA.
1415, William became steward to John Mowbray, Duke of
Norfolk.
4/1/1418, William, a feoffee of Robert Mautby esquire, given
specific instructions in Robert’s will.
1419, William a witness to the will of Sir Thomas Hengrave
of Suffolk, of whom William was one of Thomas’ feoffees.
1419, Feast of Corpus Christi, William named an executor of
his father’s will.
1419, William’s father died.
1419-20, The city of Norwich paid 7s 6d for 3 yards of cloth
for the vesture for William.
3/24/1420, William married Agnes; receiving the manors of
Oxned and Marlingford in Norfolk, and Horwellbury in Herts. [Date of marriage
contract.]
9/1/1420, Appointment by John Hevenyngham knight, … as
attorneys to deliver seisin to William Paston of Paston and Agnes his wife
daughter of Edmund Berre knight and Alice his wife in the manor of Oxnead, the
advowson of the church of the said manor, and lands in Oxnead, Skeyton,
Brampton, Burgh, Tuttington, Marsham and Aylsham formerly of Francis who was
wife of Robert Salle knight or William Trussell knight her nephew and heir. (S)
UKNA, MC 170/5, 634 x 3(a).
1421, William a witness to the will of Joan, wife of Sir
Thomas Hengrave of Suffolk.
12/29/1421, On her deathbed, Joan, wife of Sir Thomas
Hengrave, request William and others to reduce the amount of money designated
for her 2nd husband.
7/16/1422, “Grant by Thomas de Kerdeston, to … Edmund Berry,
knights, William Paston, …, of the manors of Bulcamp and Henham, …: Suff.” (S)
UKNA.
8/13/1422, Henry VI became King of England.
1423-24, Norwich paid messengers sent to William, then in
London, for advice.
1426, William made serjeant at law.
~1426, William was threatened with death. He declared his
enemies to be Bishop of Bromholm, Aslak of Sprouston, and widow Julian Herberd
of Thormham.
7/1426, William and Thomas Poye granted a market fair and
free-warren of the manor of Shipden.
1427, William bought the manor of Gresham from Thomas
Chaucer.
By 1429, William knighted.
10/15/1429, William became a Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas with a salary of 110 marks [£73, 6s, 8d.], with 2 robes more than the
ordinary allowance. [William was also of the King’s council for his dutchy of
Lancaster, and a knight.]
1/1432, A Fine levied in the King’s court at Westminster
before … John Martyn, … and William Paston, justices, and other the king’s
leiges then present … (S) CFRs.
8/24/1432, “Grant by John Aslak, of Crosthweyt, … called
'Stalham Halle', …, which the grantors had of the feoffment of Edmund Berry,
knight, William Paston, of Paston, …” (S) UKNA.
9/30/1433, William named supervisor in his father-in-law’s
will; Agnes named the executor.
Bef. 10/12/1433, Agnes’ father died.
1433, A petition brought against William by William Dalling
[dismissed.]
2/16/1434, “1. John Tyrell, kt. 2. Brian Stapilton, kt. John
Cottesmore. William Paston. (1) to (2), custody of land (10a.) in Aldeburgh
formerly of John Mauteby, esq., deceased.” (S) UKNA.
12/5/1435, To the escheator in Suffolk. Order to take the
fealty of Simon Felbrygge, Brian Stapulton knights, William Paston of Paston …,
and to give them livery of the manors and advowsons … that Joan who was wife of
Bartholomew Bacoun knight at her death held … (S) CCRs.
8/7/1437, “Memorandum, … a grant of Letters of Patents made
by Henry the Sixth, … that William Paston … was Sergeant to Hen. the Fourth
& Hen. the Fifth, and was one of the Judges of Hen. the Sixth the same
year. … That he should not be sent beyond the seas, Nor should be returned of
any Jury of attaint ; and besides this there is sett downe that he was of the
said King’s Councell for the Duchy of Lancaster.”
1438, The prior of Bromholm gave William ‘for his good
services in the law’, 16 acres of land at Baketon; and the abbot of Bury
granted him a letter of confraternity, whereby he partook of all the prayers of
that abbey both alive and dead.
1439, William a trier of petitions in Parliament.
1440, Agnes wrote a letter to William about the gentlewoman,
an acquaintance of her son John.
1440-41, Order by the King to William Alnewyke, Bishop of
Lincoln, … and others to make over to William Paston and Agnes his wife and
Thomas Bardolf, esquire, and Aline his wife the manor of Frostenden, 6
messuages, land and rent in Frostenden, Uggeshall, Henham, Stoven, Brampton,
Sotterley, Worlingham, Covehithe (Northalys), and other places which Henry
Pesenhale gave to John Byskele in tail, and which after the death of the said
John and others came to the said Agnes and Aline; (Suff.) (S) UKNA, E 210/9527.
1442, Eleanor, widow of Robert Mauteby, wrote to William
from Wilby, Northamptonshire.
2/14/1442, To William Paston late one of the justices
appointed to take assizes, juries and certificates in Hertfordshire, Essex,
Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Middlesex. Order to have all writs, … of assizes … which
are not yet determined, … before himself and John Fortescu the justices now so
appointed. (S) CCRs.
1442-43, William Paston to close high roads in Paston and
Oxnead, Norfolk. (S) UKNA.
1443, A friar named Hauteyn contested [unsuccessfully]
Agnes’ claim to several manors.
1444, “Willelmus Paston de Paston” of Norfolk wrote his
will. (S) UKNA. [William left Horwellbury, Hertford, to Agnes, and directed
that all lands not mentioned in his will (except Sweynthorpe) should go to his
two younger sons William and Clement.]
8/13/1444, William died, buried in the chapel of Our Lady of
Norwich Cathredal [Norfolk]. He had possession of East Beckham, Oxnead, Shipden
and Ropers in Cromerk, Gresham, Woodhall in Great Palgrave, and Sporle and
Sheethall in Cressingham.
[––Agnes––]
Aft. 9/15/1444, A letter of Sir Roger Chamberleyn informs
Agnes of the conditions associated with Sir William selling the manor of
Walsham.
2/4/1445, Agnes wrote a letter to her son Edmond in law
school. Agnes mentions their property in Trunch. (S) The Paston Letters, Davis,
1999, P8. [Edmond died 3/21/1449 in London.]
1449, Agnes asked her son John to send to her son William at
Cambridge some books.
By 1466, Agnes had created the manor Paston from the lands
of Clement Paston, Bromholm Priory, and Hugh atte Fenn.
1466, Agnes wrote her will leaving Horwellbury to her sons
William and Clement.
By 1449, Agnes wrote a letter to her son John. (S) The
Paston Letters, Davis, 1999, P22.
1451, Agnes in a dispute with the villagers of Paston over
the building of a wall.
1454, Agnes made an indenture with her son John for her
daughter Elizabeth to marry John Clopton, paying 400 marks.
3/14/1461, Edward [earl of March] proclaimed himself King
Edward IV as the rightful heir. [Beginning a civil war.]
~1466, Agnes made complaints about her son John’s intrusion
on her property rights.
Aft. 1469, Agnes moved from Paston to live with her son
William in London at Warwick’s Inn.
Agnes wrote her will: “A note taken out of the last Will
& Testamt of Agnes Berrye, wife to Justice Paston, proving her descent from
Gerbredge and Berrye, viz., Also I bequesth to the whight fryers of ye said
City of Norwich, for I am there a suster, to helpe to pay hir debts xxli, wch I
will be gathered of the arrerage of my lyvelode. Also I bequeath to the Auter
of Gracion of the said House, wheras mine husband and I have a ppetuall masse,
a vestment which they have for a Prist to judge in of rede satern. Also to the
mendinge of ye chappell of our Ladie within the said place, wheras Sr Thomas
Gerbredge, my grandfather, & Dame Elizabeth his wife, & Sr Edmond
Berrye, my father, & Dame Alice his wife, be buried, and Clement Paston, my
sonn.”
8/18/1479, Agnes died; buried beside William. [The chapel
was demolished between 1573–1589.]
(S) A Gen. and Heraldic Hist. … Burke, 1888, P401. (S) The
Paston Letters, A.D. 1422-1509, Gairdner, 1904. (S) De Laudibus Legum Angliae:,
Fortescue, 1999, Pxiii. (S) DNB, Stephen, 1895. (S) Norfolk Archaeology, V4,
1855. (S) Agnes’ Pedigree. (S) The Paston Family in the Fifteenth Century,
Richmond, 2000. (S) Paston Letter and Papers, Part 1, Davis, 1971. (S) Hist. of
Norfolk, V6, 1807, Oxnead & Great-Cressingham.
Family notes:
·
William’s names appears in court records every
year between 1429 and his death.
Children of William and Agnes: [5 sons, 2 daughters]
i. Sir John Paston, born 10/10/1421 in Paston, Norfolk, England.
1441, John, age 19, married Margaret Mawtby, heir & d/o
John, age 18.
1445, Petitioners: John Paston, son and heir of William
Paston, Justice of Common Pleas. (S) UKNA.
1459, John made an agreement with John Fastolf to build a
college at Caister for a fee of 4000 marks.
9/20/1465, John wrote his last letter to his wife from Fleet
prison.
2/1466, John released from prison.
5/22/1466, John died.
11/4/1484, Margaret died.
ii. Edmund Paston, born 1425 in Paston, Norfolk, England.
3/1449, Edmund died at age 24
in London.
iii. Elizabeth Paston, born ~1429 in Paston, Norfolk, England.
1457-58, Elizabeth, unmarried,
living in London.
1458, Elizabeth married Robert
Poynings, 2nd s/o Robert, 4th Lord Poynings.
[Multiple marriages.]
2/1/1488, Elizabeth died.
iv. William Paston (92322), born 5/28/1434 in Paston, Norfolk, England.
v. Clement Paston, born ? in Paston, Norfolk, England.
vi. Henry Paston, born ? in Paston, Norfolk, England.
